Thinking

[LynnJr]

I don't think one of our posters here has it quite right.
A progressive press is the Bart train a turret is a taxi cab and a single stage press is like a limousine.
Bart trains will move a lot of people and drop you off miles from were you need to be.
A Limousine will put you at the same spot each time.
When you reload it is either to shoot a lot of junk ammo or to produce world class accuracy.
Get a single stage or a turret and forget you ever heard the word progressive.

[gunboat]

Stilly -- Nice looking ammo -- shameful drill press --

I vote for the single stage or lee turret but then I only shoot one shell at a time so loading 20 to 50 at a time suits me --
Not sure I would want to reload for a modern spray gun --
my tuppence

[the86d]

Taste the rainbow! I'd swear you were pressing Skittles.

I started on an XL650, but was donated a single-stage later.

The single stage only gets used to decap, or reseat my lady's botched primers from not pushing forward enough to seat primers all the way, by her, of course.

[09cs]

I just gotta drain out the powder each time.

Yeah don't forget that! lol

[John Browning]

You are going to need most of the stuff that comes with an RCBS Rock Chucker kit at some point if you do any kind of reloading, it isn't just the press. Once you get good with that, get a Hornady Lock-N-Load. Unless you're needing to run 10,000 rounds in a day, those two will do you just fine. I have both, shoot probably around 15,000 rounds a year, and couldn't be happier. I had a Dillon 550, and don't miss it one bit.

[CGT80]

When you reload it is either to shoot a lot of junk ammo or to produce world class accuracy.
Get a single stage or a turret and forget you ever heard the word progressive.

Not true at all.

Each style of press has it's purpose. I started on single stage and then got a used dillon 550, and then a 1050 and bullet feeder. My brother has used all of mine and he chose the 650. Loading on single stage sucks. I also don't need that so called limo ammo, but I don't load junk on the progressive either.

Single stage is a great way to learn. A 550 would be OK to learn on, but probably not as good as a single stage. I use the 550 like a single or turret when developing loads. The 550 doesn't auto index, so some people don't consider it a real progressive.

I use my ammo for plinking and competitions. Lever action silhouette requires loads that are consistent. You get one round of ammo per target. You don't need a tiny little group, but you have to hit the steel and knock it over. 3 gun and pistol competitions allow you to use as many rounds as needed, most of the time, but less if better and any malfunctions can really screw up your time/score.

Reloading is a bit of a chore but I do enjoy parts of it and won't buy factory ammo if I can help it. The progressive presses save time and work and will make great ammo if you have the machine setup and you know what you are doing. They are not usually the choice for a precision shooter who may do bulls-eye shooting or very long range shooting.

Stilly, had pretty accurate posts. He got me interested in powder coating bullets, or at least introduced me to the idea and I later decided I had to try it after reading more about it. Casting boolits can be quite fun. For 40 cal, I cast my own and powder coat and for the 30-30 and 30-06, and 30 m1 carbine, I use wax lube, but I only use gas checks for the faster carbine loads.

OP, you are smart to think about progressives right now. You don't have to start with one, but know you may end up wanting to use one down the road. The Lee single stage or turret seems like a reliable and inexpensive way to try reloading. I did not like the lee progressive at all. Yes, I do drink the blue koolaid. My single stage is an old Hollywood 12 position Universal model with triple turrets. It is a cool old tank, but I only use it to size PC'd boolits.

[Divernhunter]

Single stage kit to start with.
Then later if you feel a "need" get a Dillon 650 with brass feeder.
You will still use the single stage especially for rifle ammo.
If you batch process your brass and the best thing is to hand prime you can turn out 1000 in a night. It take 30 seconds to change a die and you will only use one at a time. Hand priming can be done while watching TV, trimming I usually do outside. Chamfering, de-burring flash holes and primer pocket uniforming can be done while watching TV. All of this is for rifle brass and some processes for pistol brass. Doing this you will always have brass ready to put in powder and seat bullet. In a weeks time I loaded 5700 rounds of 223 and 1250 rounds of 204Ruger on a RCBS single stage.
I have one Dillon 650 and 3 single stage presses and use them all.

[LynnJr]

Not true at all.

Each style of press has it's purpose. I started on single stage and then got a used dillon 550, and then a 1050 and bullet feeder. My brother has used all of mine and he chose the 650. Loading on single stage sucks. I also don't need that so called limo ammo, but I don't load junk on the progressive either.

Single stage is a great way to learn. A 550 would be OK to learn on, but probably not as good as a single stage. I use the 550 like a single or turret when developing loads. The 550 doesn't auto index, so some people don't consider it a real progressive.

I use my ammo for plinking and competitions. Lever action silhouette requires loads that are consistent. You get one round of ammo per target. You don't need a tiny little group, but you have to hit the steel and knock it over. 3 gun and pistol competitions allow you to use as many rounds as needed, most of the time, but less if better and any malfunctions can really screw up your time/score.

Reloading is a bit of a chore but I do enjoy parts of it and won't buy factory ammo if I can help it. The progressive presses save time and work and will make great ammo if you have the machine setup and you know what you are doing. They are not usually the choice for a precision shooter who may do bulls-eye shooting or very long range shooting.

Stilly, had pretty accurate posts. He got me interested in powder coating bullets, or at least introduced me to the idea and I later decided I had to try it after reading more about it. Casting boolits can be quite fun. For 40 cal, I cast my own and powder coat and for the 30-30 and 30-06, and 30 m1 carbine, I use wax lube, but I only use gas checks for the faster carbine loads.

OP, you are smart to think about progressives right now. You don't have to start with one, but know you may end up wanting to use one down the road. The Lee single stage or turret seems like a reliable and inexpensive way to try reloading. I did not like the lee progressive at all. Yes, I do drink the blue koolaid. My single stage is an old Hollywood 12 position Universal model with triple turrets. It is a cool old tank, but I only use it to size PC'd boolits.

I don't agree with you on this.
The OP is brand new to reloading which means he is very likely not shooting in competitions that require bulk ammo.
Progressive presses work well for pistol rounds as most pistol shooters couldn't hit the wall of a barn while inside of it.
If he starts on a single stage and makes an error he throws that single piece of brass out.
If he starts on a progressive and makes a mistake he will need to dismantle and reassemble the press.
When your a new reloader it is best in my humble opinion to learn all the steps so you understand the entire process.
A trained monkey could run a progressive but the monkey would never learn anything.
Progressive presses have there place this just isn't one of them.

[stilly]

I don't think one of our posters here has it quite right.
A progressive press is the Bart train a turret is a taxi cab and a single stage press is like a limousine.
Bart trains will move a lot of people and drop you off miles from were you need to be.
A Limousine will put you at the same spot each time.
When you reload it is either to shoot a lot of junk ammo or to produce world class accuracy.
Get a single stage or a turret and forget you ever heard the word progressive.

No, I think that poster has it pretty correct. And that poster thinks that YOU have it wrong. I can understand that you need to stand by your 3000 yard shot and all and the bestest press in the world would be a Dillon single stage complete with built in chargemaster instead of a powder dropper and a backup 5-0-5 mounted below the chargemaster so you can verify the charge and the seater die would have a micrometer on the micrometer so you can fractionally move your seating a fractional amount, an optic scanner and IR weight checker to lock up the press should you put on a projectile that is off by .02gr but you totally messed up that analogy. You forgot to say what a taxi does, which is takes you from point A to point B without making you look like an attention whore snob who just screams "hey look at me! I can afford a Limo!"

Maybe that was just a bad analogy for you to use though. I know, out of EVERYONE saying things you wanted to point out a fault in what I said but its all good man. I know you have my number and that is fine, but I stand by what I said. and I am SURE that many progressives can make perfectly good ammo or else nobody would keep buying them year after year after year. But nobody buys a progressive because they want to have fun making ammo, they buy one because they need a large volume of ammo or they want to make a large volume. I have fun on my turret and it puts out a large volume of ammo for me. I have the primers loaded up and brass cleaned and I just walk by and it is so inviting... Oh ok, but JUST for a few minutes (I say to it when it invites me to sit down and make some more ammo) and next thing you know, three hours and two condoms later I am putting my clothes back on and quickly exiting the garage with my sunglasses and a hat on so nobody recognizes me...

Just because I or others do not make world class ammo like you and have to load up some super long range 6000 yard bullet, does not mean we are any less qualified to know what we are talking about. I think until you get over that you will always have that stick up yer arse. Just pull it out and get on with life man. I see you take little digs at me all over the place and I find it funny. No really, I laughed when you explained to someone else how you (as in you in general) can be sloppy... But it was not worth my time to respond.

But seriously man, just be happy to help folks and stop fighting with others that are on your side. I am here for ya brotha! Gimmie a hug or I will bring in FP and he will take you to his dungeon and we will get the CGN cheerleaders to take turns pegging you...

Oh damn, sorry, tangent. I am sorry, I meant to say, you forgot to tell us what a taxi does...

Oh and yes, OP should think Turret or Single Stage but that is the general rule of thumb anyways, and of course, I think CGT80 is right on too, he SHOULD keep that option in the back of his head and once he has a firm grip, revaluate if he needs to make more faster or not.

When I first got into reloading, I was wanting to start on a Hornady LNL AP. Now though I have wondered if things would have been different if I had started on a press that could have been converted into a progressive down the line like one of the RCBS presses or others. I still like my turret though. My ammo is just as accurate as anything anyone else puts up against it.

And Mr. Gunboat, About my drill press. While I was a CEO I stopped in on an illegal yard sale and educated them about their illegal signage and lack of permit. I gave them the opportunity to get a permit after the fact and the next week they had a permit for the prior yard sale and for the one they had going currently. They had moved their signs from being nailed to trees along D St. to staked signs in peoples' yards near the corner of the intersections. I stopped in and thanked them for complying and the guy invited me to be a customer since I saved him $45 on a ticket and I politely declined. About a month later when they were moving out, they had called someone in Animal Control (maybe for a dog house they had to donate) and the ACO called me for assistance. I said sure, and I showed up, we all talked for a brief moment or two and the homeowner remembered me and offered me the drill press and told me it needed a little work. I declined at first but he said he was going to leave it at the house since he had a new one so I said, okay and took it. I was shocked that it turned on but it was free and it is mine now. I am SLOWLY in the process of restoring it. I want to paint it all one or two different colors.

And that is that. Mmmmm Skittles. I think I need to go to the store tomorrow...

[LynnJr]

Stilly
Contrary to what you might think nobody is here to get you and they sell meds to treat people who think that way.
The OP is loading for the first time ever and people yourself included think he needs a progressive press.
I simply don't agree with you or them.
I think giving someone a top fuel dragster who has never driven a car before is stupid and others here think it the right thing to do. Its called a difference of opinion and it seems yours is the only one that counts.
The only FP I know is my firing pin.
You seem to be insulted when others don't believe your advise is top shelf and you seem to have a lot of angst about shooters who have been reloading for longer than you have been on Terra firma or those that compete. As I am not a doctor I have no answers as to why.

[JackRydden224]

I started with a progressive press the Dillon 550B and wish I started with a Lee turret press. There are just so many little things that can go wrong with a progressive press. When you are new to reloading having something simple means you can focus on getting the basics down instead trying to figure out the 20 different things can go wrong with the press.

[tylenol9999]

Thinking

Lee Classic Turret press, gives you the control of single stage with a much higher output. Handling the brass 4 times per round on my single stage got old pretty quickly. Still I loaded some 5000 rounds on my single stage before moving to the Dillon 550. Yes the 550, is much faster, but also a lot easier to make a costly mistake. In the grand scheme of things you will reuse most of the items when you switch from a turret press to a progressive, so at most you will throw away $100 for the turret. You can always sell the turret, but doubt you will.

[LynnJr]

I started with a progressive press the Dillon 550B and wish I started with a Lee turret press. There are just so many little things that can go wrong with a progressive press. When you are new to reloading having something simple means you can focus on getting the basics down instead trying to figure out the 20 different things can go wrong with the press.

This is exactly correct to my way of thinking. When something goes wrong and it always does the OP can simply discard one bad round.
When something goes wrong on a progressive you are stuck dead in your tracks.

[rsrocket1]

I seriously considered a Lee turret press but was glad I took the path I did.
I bought a Hornady LnL AP full set up because I had an offer that I couldn't pass up and it was about to expire (a coupon of $150 off of a $500 purchase) so I got the entire setup.

I then found a complete Lee Breechlock Challenger Loading kit on ebay for $75 which looked brand new. I pounced on that and started loading with it for a month before unboxing the LnL AP. I was very glad I took the time to learn the ropes on a single stage press and still use it a lot for my rifle loading, sizing cast bullets and fixing problems with individual rounds that come off the progressive press.

Even if you learn everything you need in a few weeks with a single stage press, you will always have a need for it in the future.

[Squ1dward]

Hey FJ40,

I was and am still new to reloading, but went with a 650. It is pretty easy to use, and there are a ton of videos. I've made my share of mistakes, but nothing catastrophic.

I am a buy once, cry once kinda guy. Most reloading stuff is resellable, if you make a purchase that doesn't work out, sell it. Someone will want it